Chapter 61: It Was There, But Now It’s Gone (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 61: It Was There, But Now It’s Gone (2)
Alon, the man who had "somehow become the leader of the masterminds" and "become the king of the underworld just by breathing," clutched his dizzy head and thought:
I gave a command like that...? When the hell did I do that?
As he racked his brain in front of the bowing Duke Altia, a low realization finally escaped his lips.
"Ah."
—Let’s start by cleaning up the underworld.
He remembered saying those words upon further reflection.
Wait, is it normal to interpret 'cleaning up the underworld' like this? Isn't it more natural to think it means just getting rid of the useless pests?
However, the reason he was truly horrified wasn't that Duke Altia had misunderstood him; it was that they had actually succeeded in wiping out the entire underworld of the Asteria Kingdom.
Does this... even make sense?
Of course, he knew well that Duke Altia and Count Zenonia would become the masterminds of Asteria in the future.
But even so.
Taking over the entire underworld of Asteria like this... was practically impossible.
In the game, Asteria's underworld was considered one of the two largest "dark powers" in the United Kingdoms, alongside the Ashtalon Kingdom. This was because most of the organizations operating in the shadows of the United Kingdoms were based in these two places.
In other words, there were countless underworld organizations in Asteria. To say they had conquered it meant they had to have eliminated every single one of them.
"...Did you really get rid of all of them?"
He asked, just in case.
[Yes.]
Seeing her nod with such absolute conviction, Alon fell into a stunned silence before finally managing to speak.
"You must have gone through a lot of trouble."
[Not at all. It was only possible because you, My Lord, took care of both the Royal Faction and the Noble Faction.]
"...The Royal Faction and the Noble Faction?"
[Yes. Because you kept the leaders of both factions tied down, our work became much easier.]
I didn't deal with them; you guys did, Alon wanted to say, but he pushed the thought aside.
[So, we have conquered the underworld as you commanded. What shall we do next?]
Alon fell silent at Duke Altia's question.
In truth, he had no plan for what came next. The only reason he had suggested cleaning up the underworld in the first place was that it sounded plausible and seemed like something that would take a long time.
I never imagined it would be over this quickly—
As Alon agonized over what to say to Duke Altia...
[Is the King... next, as expected?]
"...The King?"
[Yes. Since our influence has grown this much, it’s only a matter of time before they move.]
Hearing that, Alon gave his final order.
"For now, maintain the status quo."
With that, he deactivated the communication tool.
"...Hmm."
He fell into silent contemplation.
True, at this point, it wouldn't be strange for the King to move personally.
While the Asteria Kingdom was essentially a country where the nobles ran everything, it was still a kingdom and therefore had a monarch.
The 8th Ruler of Asteria, Cretenia Siyan.
Despite the nobles running wild, she maintained significant power without involving herself much in state affairs or political games.
The reason was the "Golden History Eye," a power possessed only by the bloodline of the Asteria Royal Family.
...Well, despite the name, it’s not actually an eye-related ability.
As far as Alon knew, the name "Golden History Eye" was simply given because the royalty were born with vivid golden eyes. The inherited ability itself was quite simple: the power to pass down strength through generations.
Like inheriting game data, this special power allowed one to pass their strength directly to the next generation. It was simple to explain but incredibly powerful. As the generations passed, it granted enough might to maintain royal authority without needing to engage in politics. It also had the natural effect of making the nobles watch their step and refrain from crossing the line.
According to the lore, Cretenia Siyan doesn't move simply because she finds it bothersome.
Alon recalled her expression from the game illustrations—beyond indifferent, it was practically vacant—and continued his train of thought.
...Since I've caused such a stir, I might face some scrutiny. But given the King's personality, she might just let it slide.
He thought back to her behavior in the game.
...She was basically a total bystander unless one of the Five Great Sins descended.
When a Great Sin struck Asteria, she would briefly join the player's party and display overwhelming martial prowess. Aside from those moments, she was largely indifferent to the happenings within her kingdom. She was so detached that there was even a meme among Psychedelia players asking if she was a Guardian Dragon rather than a King.
Thus, Alon decided to set his mind at ease.
However, the very next day.
"Ssshp—"
Alon was eating a sweet potato, pondering a question he hadn't been able to answer despite his continued magical research: Who was the entity that whispered to me during the fight with the Outer God?
"My Lord. Are you eating sweet potatoes again?"
"Do you want one?"
"...If there are any left, I would appreciate... No, that's not it. An important letter has arrived."
He was interrupted by Evan.
"An important letter?"
"Yes."
Evan lightly brushed the snow off his head and handed Alon a letter.
...A letter bearing the seal of the Asteria Royal Family.
"This is..."
"It seems that in one month... on New Year's Day, a ball will be held at the Royal Castle for the first time in five years. And—"
"Is there more?"
"...This is a message from the secretary who delivered the letter. The King specifically requested that Count Palatio attend."
"..."
At Evan's words, Alon let out a low, "Ah..."
Exactly one month had passed since receiving that royal letter.
It was around the time Alon's mana poisoning had been completely cured after five months, and he was once again agonizing over how to find a substitute for his tiny pool of mana.
"My Lord."
"Right."
Alon climbed into the carriage heading for the Royal Castle to attend the ball.
I'll stop by the Royal Family first, then head to the desert and the Labyrinth before returning.
...It was his first outing in a long time, signaling the start of a long journey.
* * *
Inside a dark cavern near Calliban, three people stood together.
One was a man wrapped in bandages covered in mysterious symbols. Another was a woman with a tattoo of a grotesque circuit diagram on half of her face. And finally, a man stood with two kamas strapped to his back.
"Killer Ghost, Juryeong, is everything ready?"
The man spoke while looking at the other two.
"Ready? What's there to prepare? There are three of us going. That's all the preparation we need."
The woman, Juryeong, shrugged nonchalantly.
"Same here. Is preparation even necessary?"
The man called Killer Ghost also replied in a relaxed tone.
"Still, be prepared, just in case."
"Wow—you can actually say something so weak, Boss? Aren't you being a bit too nervous for someone who's killed several royals and more than two Sword Masters?"
Juryeong giggled.
"Well, from what I've found, Deus Macallian is a bit unusual. They say he defeated Reinhardt."
"So what? The three of us together could take down Reinhardt too."
The man sighed softly as he listened to their conversation. If anyone else had said those words, he would have laughed, but knowing their track record, he didn't think they were being arrogant. Everyone here was a powerhouse who had killed at least one Master Knight-level opponent on their own.
However, he still had to guard against a lax mindset.
"Don't be too careless. Defeating Reinhardt means he's stronger than him."
At his words, Killer Ghost and Juryeong stiffened, the playful smiles vanishing from their faces.
"Fine—I get it. If you're going to put it that way."
"Let's finish this as quickly as possible."
"It's not a head-on confrontation anyway; it's an ambush. If we handle it stealthily, we might finish him without even a fight."
The man listened to Juryeong and Killer Ghost seriously discussing the plan as they quietly infiltrated Kirdam, the capital of Calliban, and headed toward the central district where Deus was located.
Not long after, the three Agents entered Deus's mansion.
And then.
"Who are you?"
"!"
As soon as they infiltrated the mansion, they saw Deus Macallian standing with his back to the blue moon.
The Agents all scowled at the sight of Deus Macallian, who had appeared without any of them noticing. The fact that they hadn't sensed his presence meant they could have been ambushed.
Yet, the fact that he had appeared openly instead of ambushing them meant that Deus, who as a Master Knight could surely gauge his opponents' strength, was looking down on them.
"Is it okay to show yourself so easily? That might have been your last chance to live."
Juryeong asked, her brow furrowing.
"Assassins?"
Deus asked back, seemingly uninterested.
"And if we are?"
"I see—"
The now-tense Juryeong spoke with a savage smile, but Deus remained composed.
"Then I'll just have to kill you."
He simply declared his intent, swinging his sword with an expressionless face.
And then.
Exactly five minutes later.
This is insane—
The three Agents were all staring at Deus with expressions of pure shock.
Contrary to their expectation of taking down a single Master Knight without taking any damage, they were barely holding their own against Deus despite it being three against one. No, they were actually being pushed back bit by bit.
What kind of monster is this guy...!
The man stared at Deus as if the situation were impossible, his face filled with incomprehension. As far as he knew, Deus Macallian had become a Master Knight about two or three years ago, and his level wasn't that high. That was why he thought luck must have played a part when rumors circulated that he had recently defeated Reinhardt.
But in this moment, the man realized.
That had been his own foolish delusion.
Therefore.
"...Let's negotiate," the man proposed.
"Negotiate?"
"Yes. From the beginning, our target wasn't you, but Count Palatio."
Of course, he already knew that the relationship between Count Palatio and Deus was quite close. But he revealed the truth without hesitation because of the current situation.
No matter how much of a monster he is, he must realize that if the three of us fight to the death, he has to be prepared to die too.
The man glanced over Deus's body. While there were no major wounds, minor cuts were visible here and there. In other words, Deus wasn't in a position to be complacent in this fight either.
No matter how much of a benefactor someone is, people change when their own life is on the line.
"If you hand over the information we want regarding Count Palatio, we will withdraw. We won't come looking for you again. But if you refuse—"
The man added in an incredibly low voice.
"—our comrades will hunt you day and night."
It was a blatant threat, but the man said no more. He knew well that for someone who had reached a level where they could see their opponent's strength, no further explanation was needed.
And then.
It was only after that he realized 'it.'
"?"
The man stared blankly ahead. The scenery before him hadn't changed much.
However, one thing was different.
...Threads?
Under the blue moon, vivid, glowing purple lines were suddenly visible in his field of vision. Like a spiderweb, the lines filled the entire mansion—no, his entire field of vision—and were wrapped around his body, as well as those of Killer Ghost and Juryeong.
In that instant.
"Wh-what—!"
"What is this—!!"
Everyone there began to move.
Killer Ghost raised his axe.
Juryeong gripped the kama in her right hand.
The man aimed the sword in his left hand.
They all began to point their weapons at their own throats.
"Damn it!!"
"Stop—stop it—!"
"Aaaaaagh!"
The intruders struggled desperately to move their uncontrollable bodies, their faces filled with horror.
However, already ensnared by the purple threads, they were like puppets moved by a puppeteer. Regardless of their will, they thrust the weapons aimed at their throats.
"No, no! No!!!"
"Please—pleaaaase!!!"
The intruders, who had been screaming in terror...
Squelch!
...ended their own lives with their own hands.
Red blood flowed along the purple threads.
And the last thing the man, who had also stabbed his own throat, could see at the end of his life...
"Don't you dare utter such words in front of me."
...was a pair of chillingly glowing Purple Eyes.